Digital Subscriptions, Fiction, Litro #126: Poland

Saturn (excerpt)

Jacek Dehnelby JacekDehnel
•
“All because of this,” muttered my mother, “because of this white powder.” I glanced at her and asked: “What’s that? All what?” And she smoothed a wrin­kle from her sleeve and replied: “Well, everything. The little ones’ burials, the miscarriages. Your frailty. And other things I don’t even want to think about."
To access this post, you must purchase Digital Subscription, US Subscription, Student Subscription or Institution Subscription.

Jacek Dehnel

Jacek Dehnel

Jacek Dehnel (born 1980) is a poet, novelist, painter and translator. In 2005 he was one of the youngest ever winners of Poland's Koscielski Prize for promising new writers. He studied Polish Literature at Warsaw University then wrote his PHD thesis on the Polish translations of Philip Larkin, some of whose poetry he has translated himself. He has published four volumes of his own poetry which has been widely translated, including into English.

You may also like

A pedestrian crossing a rain-darkened London street, reflected in a pavement puddle
Litro Readers’ Choice 2026: Read the Ten Shortlisted Stories

A large suburban house at night, lit by cold blue garage lights, suggesting comfort, distance and emotional unease.
Men Are Swine by Annie Johnson

An abandoned industrial lot at night behind a chain-link fence, suggesting danger, neglect and a closed circle of violence.
A Perfect Circle – John Dennis

Hands cut and wrap fish at a market stall, suggesting labour, survival and the afterlife of political power.
After the hurricane – Sheila Kannappan